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No matter how strong and durable the coating of your greenhouse, built on the site from modern material, it requires a scheduled check and unscheduled adjustment of the structure in case of force majeure. Why should you periodically carry out repairs to the greenhouse, what are the breakdowns of its components and how to fix them, how to fix the troubles yourself?
Why Regular Repairs Are Necessary
The normal service life of greenhouse structures depends not only on how correctly the installation of the constituent parts of the greenhouse was carried out. It is also important to properly care for the greenhouse, and to carry out regular repairs – checking the health of the frame, base and coating. Scheduled repairs with their own hands can be carried out by every gardener. Inspection and correction of defects in the design of a polycarbonate greenhouse is recommended to be carried out twice a year – in early spring, shortly before sowing plants, and in late autumn, at the end of the season.
Scheduled repair of any polycarbonate greenhouse includes inspection of all parts of the structure for damage, painting and cleaning of elements, strength control. Carefully examine all the details of the greenhouse, especially the surface of the coating. Check whether its swelling, turbidity has occurred, whether microcracks or dents have appeared on the surface.
The state of the frame is monitored – whether it is stable, whether it has been damaged by rainwater. Using a level, check the position of the greenhouse – it must be located strictly horizontally. If no damage is found, the coating and parts of the frame are washed with water. Bearing parts of the structure may be subject to corrosion. Such places need to be washed, dried, cleaned and painted with their own hands. A wooden frame can be damaged by rot or mold. If you do not repair it, the frame can fall apart.
If the structure does not withstand loads well, additional reinforcement will be required. It is carried out using strapping rings – they are welded or stuffed around the perimeter of the greenhouse. It is recommended to remove the polycarbonate coating for the duration of the work. You can strengthen the greenhouse with the help of special T-shaped supports – they are placed inside at a distance of about a meter from each other.
Fractures of the frame
Sometimes gardeners are faced with the need to carry out unscheduled repairs on their own to eliminate breakdowns of the main components of the greenhouse. The reasons for the malfunctions are the choice of a material of the wrong thickness for building a greenhouse, which could not cope with the proposed loads – cracks appear in the roof due to a layer of snow or the bending angle of the sheet is greater than is permissible for a material of such thickness. Do-it-yourself installation of the product without regard to the manufacturer’s recommendations may lead to deformation and rupture of structural elements.
The coating is sometimes laid on the wrong side. The end parts of cellular polycarbonate may not be sealed. The result will be moisture getting inside and the subsequent formation of mold. Possible destruction of the structure of the material due to freezing of moisture inside the honeycombs. The material may have been stored under inappropriate conditions prior to purchase.
If the frame of the building is broken as a result of exposure to snow or wind, then it will be necessary to carry out unscheduled repairs with your own hands. Depending on how badly this or that part is damaged, it is straightened or replaced. It may be necessary to hammer the board – hammering another bar with an overlap to the existing one. Additionally, in the area of damage, it is advised to install a column, which will become a reliable protection in the future from such troubles. It is best to carry out repairs in clear weather and on a non-frosty day.
Video “Assembly and repair of greenhouses”
Breakdown of the fundamental basis
If you comply with all the requirements and norms for the construction of a polycarbonate greenhouse, theoretically there should be no problems with the foundation in the future. In practice, they appear – the base of the timber implies its regular replacement with a new one. In this case, the structure should be removed and installed on a new strapping base. If the owner decides, he can move the greenhouse to another place, which implies the organization of a reliable foundation.
If the greenhouse is located on a monolithic or strapping foundation, which for some reason cracked, urgent action must be taken. To fix the problem with your own hands, you should dig the base. Manipulations must be done carefully, otherwise you risk getting an even bigger crack. When the gap is found, it is filled with a solution intended for this.
Cover restoration
If damage to the greenhouse cover is found, it will be necessary to repair this part of the building. Turbidity, darkening, moisture in the combs, swelling may appear. If, due to exposure to high temperatures, the material began to “bulge”, you should once again fix the sheets on the frame. The holes left from the previous fasteners from the self-tapping screws must be sealed. If cloudiness or darkening of the coating is found, make sure that it is with the UV protective coating facing up.
Otherwise, you need to turn it over with your own hands and fix it again. In this case, it is still recommended to completely replace the sheets of material. When moisture is detected in the honeycombs, in order to avoid damage to the canvases, they will have to be dismantled and blown with compressed air. Then fix on the building.
The most difficult failure is considered to be a crack or a floor of the material. This happens by accident – as a result of heavy objects falling onto the roof, or when hitting it with a garden tool. If the damage area is small, it is “blown out” with a sealant solution.
When a hole is formed, a damaged piece will need to be replaced. If the structure is arched, you should purchase a whole sheet. In other cases, you can fix the breakdown with a plastic film. Using a plastic film is a budget option, but it is better to take pieces of the base material left after the installation of the greenhouse.
Video “Greenhouse with your own hands”
You will see the entire design process, from installation to the repair of polycarbonate greenhouses, in the video clip below.
